


Say no evil, talk to me.

by maryAntonnete_is_passing_by



Series: Jetko renassaince week [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Jet is suspicios and reflecting, M/M, There Is No War In Ba Sing Se, War-talk, Zuko has its own demons too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:35:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27094414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maryAntonnete_is_passing_by/pseuds/maryAntonnete_is_passing_by
Summary: Day 1: ConfessionsOf things that can't be said, and the truths that escape throught the filter.Or  beginnings of trust.
Relationships: Jet/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Jetko renassaince week [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977532
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26
Collections: Jetko Renaissance Week





	Say no evil, talk to me.

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, Jetko week!, I believed this started tomorrow!, hahahaha, still have some time.

_'you're right, I'm a firebender'_

he sometimes has the ridiculous impulse to say it, despite knowing - the lesson still burning fresh- how bad it would go down.

It is the kind of self-sabotage Azula would mock him for, useless Zuko will get himself killed, or something like that.

That may be, but no matter how good actress, she would've already blown this city up if forced to lay down like this, so..

_(she wouldn't, she would do perfectly and probably force a coup from the inside with a smile, she never makes mistakes like he does. )_

So waiter Lee keeps serving the tables, grating day piling up one after another, living comfortably with uncle Mushi in purposeless days he hadn't had in forever.

He feels that he is less Zuko everyday, and one day he fears he will _be_ Lee, giving up his past altogether, that he will be happy to.

Is that what uncle wants to happen, under the guise of laying down?; he thought it was a puzzling notion to be considering that of Uncle at first, baseless too. He always blended with the crowd and got social not matter where they were and this wasn't different.

But they never settled down before like this, never for this long...and Uncle seemed happy here.

He is living his dream working at the tea shop-Agni knows he loves the stuff- and he knows he likes it better than the sea, than the constant worries of the war outside.  
With all their little house sucks, it's solid. He always dissuades Zuko on the topic of when to leave, and...and he kinda wonders if maybe uncle doesn't want them to leave at all.

And he hates that idea, how could he forget about home?, but more he hates how he understands how it could be tempting to Uncle.

He fears that with time it may become tempting to him.

He rebels at the concept again, his breath drawing long to calm the sudden flare of his muscles, and the want to be him, to show everyone, to be himself and stop hiding and move, appeals so strongly.

So he wants to, then, grab that idiot from his hiding spot, look at him to the eyes, and nod.

He will deck him too for being a stalker, and such obvious at one at that, but is true that he only notices because he can do the same, and his gaze is so pointed.

He exhales, and after the third breath, his brain feels calmer again. It's difficult, but he isn't going to get caught here.

He won't slip, no matter how much his brain betrays him. Or Jet throws suspicious glares at him.

...

He will deal with it tomorrow.

* * *

He was going to deal with Jet today. As in calling him over from his hiding spot claiming he saw him just ahead, and in a conversation tell him where he worked, that he was welcomed to a cup, pretending not to notice his hand was where a sword would be.

It was going well, the other had smiled and left after the talk and didn't follow in secret. He thinks Jet got the idea, that it would be better for him to spy from inside now that he was invited.

It was an ingenious plot.

But then, five streets later, he actually heard him shout about 'cowards' and 'of course there's a war, what do you mean?', and saw how the eyes around started to shift. It made him nervous in a way he couldn't name, the whispers and pity on the people's eyes, that were going further away from where the sound was coming from.

It reminded him of one old man's eyes on that military meeting, a lifetime ago.

He was running before he noticed, and encountered a scene that made him tremble, not really knowing why. There were apparently new refugees and some attendees discussing the topic, and Jet apparently joined, now more subdued but still going, curious about outside news. From the side, you could see the ominous hats of the Dai Li approaching.

And Zuko suddenly saw, _knew_ , that he had to get him out of there. And there was no time.

Another person may have a better plan, he just ran to him.

'...you still not- ah, Lee?'

'...Jet, I need to tell you something...'

he took his chances grabbing his hand, and ran.

Just in time, too. They just had time to duck on the alley when the area they were before was encircled

He had to hold the other back, the scene was chilling to watch.

-'...why would they arrest them like that...we were just talking '

'...I don't know'

He, as someone lying about his identity, wanted nothing less than to talk about the outside, so he hadn't noticed, how nobody seemed to bring it up either.

'...Thank you for holding me, there's no way I could defeat that many, and...I'm not supposed to fight anymore'-the other surprised him by even talking, his voice sounded shocked.

Then he asked him, with a small voice-'why did you help me?'

'… you said we had to look for the other, and you didn't say anything false'

* * *

The other stopped lurking outside his windows after that. And, in exchange, there was a new face at the tea shop every day, trying to get him to serve him without pay.

Jet has such charisma that it works, sometimes. Or is it insufferance?

He lies smoothly and has a silver tongue, he knows how dangerous that is, no wonder he was thinking of Azula before.

But he is honest in a way that he can't fake, in the way he talks of boring walls and how he will explode of boredom here, being the only person that dares mention the fire nation -still, is he mad?; they got told after by a whispering owner that it can't be mentioned, and since then he hadn't directly, but he never let the matter die either-

and the way he may be mellowing a bit to him, but has never left his guard down for Mushi. Even when he could see he liked the jasmine tea and the jokes the other made.

He makes the place more fun, even if the owner hates him. Smellerbee and Longshot sometimes show with him, and he is calmer then, and more protective of them. He sometimes feels that gaze falls on him, too.

'This place is crazy' - he tells him one day while he helps him close the shop -'they wants us to forget we ever existed outside these walls, is driving me insane'

It's doing that to him, too. He is glad he is not alone, wanting to remember.

'Do you think Pao would mind if I stay more, bashful-waiter?'

'...really'

'...yeah, it doesn't fit you. Golden-beauty?'

'...if Pao doesn't kick you out, I will'-

he has been trying to find a name for him for weeks. 'Your own codename, I can't call you 'Lee'', and low-key accusing sometimes, very playful like.

A child's play compared to sister, and a welcomed one. He will never tell him, how glad he is someone is looking for Zuko in him.

(he will not be happy if he actually confesses, there would be hurt gazes... so he doesn't)

He can't be fire here the same way Jet fervor for fighting in the non-existent war can't be known, though, so he takes his hand in support, and Jet just...

talks, about the forest, children, and fire, and of how much he doesn't want to fuck shit up.

He talks too, later, answers by telling him tales of his coming to the city and traveling, of how wide really is the world, their task forgotten.

Is not the first time this has happened, is the thing. The first one let them crying -despite themselves-, and the second one ended with a sword fight. Pao checks both for weapons since he saw the result of that one the next morning.

Another thing that changed. He just really wants to talk, now that he can't openly do so.

Even telling half-truths like this, is a relief.

'not the complete tale this time either?'

'like you are honest, can you ever be?'

The other stills a little at that before shrugging, moving that grass on his mouth with his fingers.

'You're jealous you can't lie for shit'

And there is a silence between moving chairs before he breaks it with a sigh.

'...I really don't want you to be fire,'Lee'...I, I like how you see through my bullshit, and I don't know if I can fight you...I don't know if I can not either'

I like how false you make 'Lee' sound, and it makes me mad.

' you always act as if that would change me, I'm what I am, here or outside, it would still be me.'

I am still me

'It can't be that simple'

'There you go...if you really liked me then that shit wouldn't matter'

'it matters, tough, or there wouldn't be war'

'there is'- you look to confirm they're alone, before saying it- 'but there shouldn't be a war at all'

...and that leaves them in silence. Thinking, and working, is hard.

Good luck it's just cleaning.

'..I'd like to be able to keep talking too regardless too.-he starts again- I want to...separate people just living their lives from my enemies, fuck, stop thinking on combat terms at all'

'...there are not enemies there tough, you idiot'

a dry laugh answers him, a laughing wolf.

'...yeah, pretty boy, didn't you hear? there is no war here at Ba Sing Se'

the bastard smiles at him, and they finish closing as the sun sets.

'Come talk with us sometime, if you like, Smellerbee is bugging me to invite you home, for all the free servings. What about tomorrow? '

'thank uncle for that' he wants to say, the habit stuck in his tongue, but he knows he can't bring him up,-with Jet still so guarded, he even subtly puts himself between them sometimes, what's up with that?- so he signals him out playfully instead.

'Ah, pretty boy suits you nicely!, maybe I will start using that!'

'Get out!'

His cheeks are red, the other laugh resounds through the streets.

'Okay, okay. But last thing, are you going to come tomorrow?'

And Zuko wants to tell him both yes and no, to say he has work and that he is free, to say both that he likes him and that he is fire nation, and that they probably are going to end both killed.

He can't confess any of that yet, so he nods.

**Author's Note:**

> note: Obviously Iroh has his reservation and mixed feelings with Ba Sing Se, but Zuko is in no state to notice even if he should.
> 
> And Iroh has much more of an open view of the world than these two.
> 
> Jet, he still is warping his head around, Zuko is dealing with his identity.
> 
> My, sorry for the grammar, I revised a few times but there.


End file.
